Operating device for impulse-controlled instruments



ENTS

Nov. 14, 1944. H. L. MCCLEERY OPERATING DEVICE FOR IMPULSE-CONTROLLED INSTRUM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. '7, 1942 72/67: for:

Nov. 14, 1944.

H. L. MCCLEERY 2,362,570

OPERATING DEVICE FOR IMPULSE-CONTROLLED INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 2,362,570 OPERATING DEVICE FOR IMPULSE- CONTROLLED IN STRUMENTS Harold L. McCleery, Downers Grove, 111. Application October 7, 1942, Serial No. 461,224

9 Claims.

This invention relates to operating devices for counters or the like wherein an air-operated switch or other momentary impulse device is employed to initiate the operation.

Such operating devices may be used, for example, with a traffic analyzer of the type shown in an application filed by Harold L. McCleery and Carlyle B. Stair on January 9, 1942, Serial No. 426,146, in which counting and signalling devices are operated by means of impulses caused by the wheels of automobiles passing over tubing laid in the street and connected with air-operated switches which serve to close electrical circuits and to thereby cause operation of said counting and signalling devices.

A common fault of operating devices of this general type heretofore devised has been that they do not under all conditions maintain contact of the switch elements long enough to insure that the counter or other controlled instrument will be operated upon each impulse. In the present device I employ an electromagnetic device in series with the switch contacts so that at the moment of contact current passes through the coil of an electromagnet which thereupon attracts an armature on the movable element of the switch and holds the switch closed for a predetermined time no matter how quickly the switch-closing impulse passes.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide an operating device for the purpose stated in which provision is made for keeping the operating circuit closed long enough to cause operation of the counter or other controlled device regardless of the nature or speed of the impulse so long as it causes the switch elements to make any contact at all.

A more specific object is to accomplish this result through the use of an electromagnet and associated electrical elements in conjunction with an air-operated switch of the general type shown in the prior application above mentioned;

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a preferred form of the invention, taken in connection with accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the switch portion of the operating device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the section of Fig. on the section line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of certain parts of the 2, being taken substantially tioned a thin diaphragm construction, since switch, being taken substantially on the plane 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse switch taken substantially on sectional view of the the section line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 'is a diagrammatic view showing the magnetic air switch in combination with the counter operating relay and the electrical circuits connecting said elements in operative relationship; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. 6 showing alternative arrangements, which, for certain uses of the device, may be preferable.

In said drawings, the switch is shown only in such detail as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention, and the showing is therefore to be regarded as somewhat diagrammatic. A switch base or block is indicated by the numeral l I and has therein a horizontal air passage l2 and a vertical passage ill, the former having a coupling [4 of brass or other suitable material therein for receiving a piece of flexible tubing 20 which may be laid in the street it the device is to be operated by impulses caused by the passing of the wheels of automobiles over the tubing, as in the case of the prior application above identified.

Above the vertical passage l3 there is posi- I5 of rubber or other suitable material, which is held in place on the block H by means of a holding ring it which is clamped down by screws H. A spacer ring l8 may he used if desired to hold the diaphragm somewhat above the top of the block H, but this may be regarded as an optional element of the it is not in all cases essential.

The movable contact member of the switch comprises aleaf spring is which is supported in a block 2| on the switch base II and has its forward end 22 disposed above the central portion of the diaphragm 15, as shown particularly in Fig. 5 of the drawings. On said diaphragm immediately beneath said forward portion 22 of the contact spring 19 is a metal disc vides a wearing surface for said portion 22 of the contact spring to prevent the latter from wearing through the diaphragm. Said forward portion 22 of the spring is offset from the plane of the major part of the spring, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5.

On said portion 22 of the member l9 there is provided a contact member 24 of silver or like material, which is disposed directly beneath a fixed contact member 25, which is in the form of a screw extending downwardly from a sup- 23 which proporting bar 26, said screw and supporting bar both being made of conductive material such as brass.

understood.

A magnet 32 is supported from the supporting bar 26 by means of an iron screw 33 having a flat head 34 at the lower end thereof disposed above a small piece 35 of sheet iron or other magnetic material carried by the movable contact spring l9. Said magnet is connected into 49 and raised position, the contact being maintained by the electrical elements diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8, be described.

In said last-mentioned views the air-operated switch is indicated generally by the reference The conaaeasvo tacts 4|, 42 are closed, current passes from the lead 43 through the coil 39, the connection 44, the switch contacts 4|, 42, the connection 45, 46 and the coil 41 to the line lead 49. The resistance of the coil 41 is sufliciently high so that the current passing through this path alone will not be suflicient to hold the switch contacts closed. However, current simultaneously passes through the closed contact 52 to the condenser 54, which is connected to the line 49 by a connection 50, and since the condenser, until charged by this current, offers no appreciable resistance, a rather high current impulse will pass through the magnet coil of the air switch so long as the condenser is charging and the contact 52 is closed. The capacity of the condenser is such that the time the counter through the armature 5| During the operation of the relay, the contact 52 opens, and thereafter the contact 53 closes, which short-circuits and discharges the condenser. The capacity of determined by the charging current and the time required to operate that above described.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 8, the resistance of the relay coil 41, as in the form shown in Fig. 6, is

provided. However, a second path for the current is provided through a lead 51 and a condenser 58 connected by a lead 58 to the other side 49 of the line. So long as the condenser is charging, the switch contacts will be held closed, and the time will be so regulated by the capacity of the condenser selected as to make sure that the relay 41, 5| will be operated. There is a normally open contact BI carried by the armature 5| of the relay, and upon operation of the relay, said contact will be closed, thereby establishing a holding circuit through a lead 62 from the line connection 43 to one of the fixed contacts 63 which are engaged by the contact 6| when the latter is closed, the circuit continuing through the relay coil 41 to the other side 49 of the line. The relay will then remain closed until it is deenergized in some such manner as described above in connection with the arrangement shown in Fig. 7.

In Figs. 6 and 8 I have shown additional contacts 64 and 65 which may be utilized for operating auxiliary devices such as signals or other electrically-controlled mechanism if this should be desired.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the switch, a switch arm carrying said movable contact an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, and an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to hold said I switch arm in contact-closing position so as to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time suflicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse.

2. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an air-operated switch having fixed and movable contacts and a diaphragm arranged to be actuated by air impulses to close said contacts, an instrumentactuating relay connected in series with said switch, and an electro-magnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time sufiicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse.

3. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an air-operated switch having fixed and movable contacts and a diaphragm arranged to be actuated by air impulses to close said contacts, an instrumentaetuating relay connected in series with said switch, and an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to hold the same closed for a predetermined time sufficient to insure-operation of said relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse.

4. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the,

switch, an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momenill) tary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time sufficient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse, said relay-including a coil adapted to receive energy from current passing through said switch, and means for causing said coil to remain energized for such predetermined time.

5. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the switch, an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time sufiicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse, said relay including a coil of such resistance that the current passing therethrough will not be sufficient to hold said switch closed, and a condenser in parallel with said ,coil and designed to receive charging current which is sufiicient to hold said switch closed for a long enough time to insure complete operation of said relay.

6. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable 'contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the switch, an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time sufficient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse, said relay including a coil of such resistance that the current passing therethrough will not be sufficient to hold said switch closed, and a condenser in parallel with said coil, said condenser being of such capacity and so arranged as to insure that sufficient energy will be supplied to said relay coil to cause complete operation of the relay.

7. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts arid means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the switch, an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time suflicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse, said relay including a coil of such resistance that the current passing therethrough will not be suflicient to hold said switch closed, a condenser in parallel with said coil and designed to receive charging current which is suflicient to hold said switch closed for a long enough time to insure complete operation of said relay, and means operable by said relay to short-circuit said condenser upon completion of the operation of the relay.

8. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the instrument-actuating relay conswitch, an

nected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentary closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time suflicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing impulse, said relay including a coil of sufliciently low resistance that the current passing there through will be suflicient to hold said switch closed, and means controlled by said relay for short-circuiting said switch upon operation of the relay.

9.. An operating device for an impulse-controlled instrument, comprising: an impulseoperated switch having fixed and movable contacts and means whereby an impulse may be transmitted to the movable contact to close the switch, an instrument-actuating relay connected in series with said switch, an electromagnetic device arranged to be energized by the momentax-y closing of said contacts and to maintain a closed circuit to said relay for a predetermined time suflicient to insure operation of the relay irrespective of the duration of the closing 1mpulse, said relay including a coil of such resistance that the current passing therethrough will not be suflicient to hold said switch closed, a condenser in parallel with said coil, said condenser being of such capacity and so arranged as to insure that suflicient energy will be supplied to said relay coil to cause complete operation of the relay, and means controlled by mid relay for short-circuiting said switch upon operation of the relay.

HAROLD L. McCL-EERY. 

